EPA Standard
Senior Healthcare Support Worker
Senior healthcare support workers help registered practitioners deliver care across a range of settings. As an experienced support worker, your apprentice will carry out clinical and non-clinical tasks under direct or indirect supervision. They’ll provide high-quality, compassionate care, follow standards and protocols, and always work within the limits of their competence.
Their role may take place in hospitals, community services, birth centres, operating theatres, care homes, GP surgeries, schools, prisons, hospices or voluntary organisations, working closely with individuals, families, carers and other service providers.
Level 3 
£5,000 
24 months
Why NCFE?
We’re an approved End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) specialising in EPA delivery across health, education, early years, digital, social care, and business apprenticeship standards. We offer flexible and reliable EPA solutions supported by sector expertise, guidance documents and proactive service and support.
Entry: apprentices will undergo all the checks as per the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements to ensure suitability to work with children.
End-point assessment
The end-point assessment (EPA) for Senior Healthcare Support Worker contains two methods of assessment:
Observation of Practice with Questions
The Observation of Practice with Questions allows the Independent End-Point Assessor (IEPA) to see the apprentice during their normal everyday work. This assessment method is undertaken in the apprentice’s workplace and will be a total of 120 minutes. The Observation itself will last 1 hour 30 minutes, followed by a 30 minute questioning session to check the understanding of the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) observed.
Grading – Fail or Pass.
Professional Discussion underpinned by Portfolio of Evidence
The Professional Discussion is a structured discussion designed to draw out the best of the apprentice’s competence and excellence, and cover the KSBs assigned to this assessment method. It is a two-way discussion which involves both the IEPA and the apprentice actively listening and participating in a formal conversation. The apprentice will utilise their Portfolio of Evidence throughout to provide evidence of their practice during the Professional Discussion. The assessment duration is 1 hour.
Grading – Fail, Pass or Distinction.
Senior Healthcare Support Worker v1.6
Delivering from 1 April 2024
Download standard PDF See IfATE standardSenior Healthcare Support Worker v1.5